3 Words and 2 Projects: The Life & Times of Turndog in 2016

On December 1st, feel the healthiest I’ve ever felt ~~ (ME)

It may seem selfish to begin with ME, but I’ve learned I’m the most important person in my world — meaning, if I don’t sort ME out, I’ll never be able to help those around me.

You see, I’m a far from perfect individual who suffers through anxiety and depression, and I’m by far my strictest critic. I like to think most of my faults and hindrances drive me to write the stories I do, so I don’t regret them.

But I do wish to better control them, because I fear if I don’t, I’ll never experience what success means to me or fulfil my version of happiness.

I’ll let myself down.

I’ll sabotage friendship and relationships.

I’ll hide from love.

I don’t want to be this guy, and I do not wish to be this kindof father to Kid Turndog.

So, beginning with me and my health… wellbeing… happiness is the only thing that makes sense.

Ahead of the money and books and business, I must first focus on ME.

And this is how I intend to do it.

1: No Sweet Treats

My wonderful Nana (may she rest in peace) gave me her sweet tooth, and boy do I fall victim to chocolate and other tasty treats. I yearn for sugar, but I’m fed up of its addiction.

It doesn’t make me feel good.

It provides short term relief but long term frustration.

It weighs me down, so in 2016 I won’t touch a single tasty treat.

No chocolate or muffins or scones.

None of the stuff I tend to crave or turn to during a bad day.

I may not remove sugar completely from diet (I’ll still eat bread, for instance), but I WILL NOT eat those naughty delights.

Except for a few exceptions, or course…

First of all, I will allow myself two portions of cake (or something similar) during a loved one's birthday, and at other special times of the year (Anniversary, Christmas, etc…).

After all, I don’t want to be the kind of buzzkill that spoils the party.

Also, during trips to the cinema, I’ll enjoy a bag of Pita Chips & a Tub of Hummus.

… And for movies at home, I’ll eat Sweet Popcorn.

But for the most part, those dreaded sweet treats won’t be part of my everyday, instead replaced with nuts, fruit, cheese, and greek yoghurt.

This won’t be easy to achieve, but I’m determined to rid myself of sugar’s stronghold.

2: Wake Up At 6am Each Morning

As important as diet is, I believe sleep to be more-so.

I’m a terrible morning person, and I could sleep all day if given the choice.

But lately I’ve forced myself up at 6am each morning, and I feel good for it.

Yes, I’m tired.

Yes, I’m tempted to crawl back into bed each day.

But I’m getting more done. I’m finishing my work earlier. I feel less guilty because I spend less time in bed. I have more time for ME.

So, each morning I’ll wake up at 6am (8am on Sunday’s) and spend my opening few minutes writing a page of thanks and affirmations, and repeating 2016’s overarching goals (ME… US… THOSE…).

I’ll also strive for at least seven hours of sleep each night, and I believe this early wakeup routine will (eventually) leave me refreshed and at peace — as well on top of my ever-growing to-do list.

Which leaves us to the final part of 2016’s opening goal…

3: Three Yoga Sessions Each Week

I first discovered yoga a couple of years ago, and I absolutely love it.

But I don’t feel like I’ve progressed enough, and during the weeks I don’t do it (or don’t do as much of it) I feel stressed, tight, and on edge.

So, in 2016 I plan to do at least three yoga sessions each week, and two of these need to be classes (meaning I must find time to do one at home, too).

This kind of exercise, along with sleep and diet, should set me in excellent stead. These three aspects combined should leave me on top of the world, not only feeling fit and healthy, but free and happy.

Yet these yoga sessions go beyond mere exercise.

It provides more ME time.

It forces me to let go of the chaos and welcome the peace.

It allows me to escape what weighs me down, and this is what I yearn for.

Only achieving one of these won’t lead me to where I wish to be. Come December, I won’t be the healthiest I’ve ever felt.

But Diet, Sleep & Yoga combined… Oh yes. I do believe I’ll feel rather good indeed. Although there is one final piece of the puzzle before we move on…

4: Rid My Daily Day of Medications

I’ve been on medication for my anxiety and depression for several years now, and in 2016 I wish to get off these.

I’ve already begun the process and spoken to doctors about it, and although I appreciate these pills help me, I don’t wish to be at their mercy forever.

I also happen to believe if I achieve the above (Diet, Sleep, Exercise…) I won’t need these meds anymore.

This is about me becoming a better version of ME — with this I believe I’ll become a better person for those I love the most, which rather fittingly brings us to the second goal of 2016.

During October Half Term, Take Rosanna & George On Our First Family Trip (To Cologne, Germany) ~~ (US)

After me comes US… us being Me, Rosanna, and George.

I’ve always struggled with relationships, and having George hasn’t eased this issue. But I believe I’ve found my soulmate in Rosanna, and I desire to spend my end of days with her.

To achieve this I need to better ME.

But I must also focus on US and refuse to let work and life and everything else get between me and my family.

My aim is to whisk my two best friends (Kid Turndog and Rosanna) to Cologne during October half-term.

Rosanna’s a teacher, so this should be a good time to do so.

Cologne also appears in my second novel, TICK to the TOCK, so a fitting setting, me thinks.

We’ll share at least 3 nights away together, as a family with nothing else to worry about.

I’ll pay for everything, as well as spoil my two best friends.

But this goal isn’t as simple as a short getaway, because what does this achieve if I spend the rest of the year neglecting US?

Oh no, this goal means much more: about me finding a balance between work and life, and building a lifestyle that fills me with smiles — and those dearest to my heart.

To achieve this goal I must make more money in 2016 than I ever have before (more on this later), and I must better balance my work and my living.

If I don’t achieve this, I’ll lose Rosanna.

I’ll become the type of father I refuse to become.

So after me comes US… and for the first time in my life I think I appreciate how valuable this actually is.

Pay For My Parents’ December Trip To New Zealand ~~ (THOSE)

Finally, I turn to THOSE.

But who are THOSE, exactly?

They are THOSE who mean the world to me, and at this moment in time it's my parents who fill this role.

I continue to live with them. They support me in so many ways.

I’m a thirty-one-year-old man who relies on my parents like a twenty-one-year-old would.

I love them and wish to do them proud, and I want 2016 to be the year I begin to repay their faith and support.

I appreciate I don’t have to because they’re my parents, and all they want is for me to be happy and free.

But I want to do them proud, because if I get to a point where I truly feel like I’m doing them proud, maybe I can finally be proud of myself, too.

My sister, brother-in-law, and two nieces live in New Zealand, and in December 2016, my parents head out to spend Christmas with them.

I want to pay for this trip, although I haven’t told them this.

It won’t be cheap, but if I achieve my more tactical and less meaningful goals (more on this below), I can do this.

This includes paying for their flights and accommodation, and even sending my parents, sister, nieces, and brother-in-law on a trip whilst there.

I don’t want to do this because I owe anyone. I want to do this because I wish to give to THOSE I love.

I assure you, a goal like this has a great deal of meaning, but to achieve it… well, I must transform 2016 into my grandest year yet.

Thankfully, I have a plan.

So… let’s move away from the meaningful goals, and instead turn towards the tactical ones that ensure these happen.

It begins with a book I’ve spent far too long working on…

THE SUCCESSFUL MISTAKE: By January 2017, Grow The Successful Frontier To 500 Paid Members.

Ever since I left my job to start my own business, I’ve been working on a book called The Successful Mistake.

Having interviewed 163 successful entrepreneurs, it’s now written, and in May 2016 I’ll release this book to the world.

But the book itself only plays a role in the grander movement on offer, and the head of this is The Successful Frontier: a paid community that includes A LOT of value that cannot fit within a few hundred pages.

I won’t go into all the detail about what this involves, costs, and such… because the time for that will come.

The point is to grow this community to 500 members, and to achieve this we must:

• Reach 500,000 People Through Various Outreach
• Grow Successful Mistake Related Email Lists to 20,000 Subscribers
• Sell at least 1,500 books via Amazon / Book Bundles
• Develop at least 50 Joint Ventures / Partnerships

Of course, I’ve many questions on the back of this, such as conversion rates, cost per subscriber, and so much more.

But based on my hypothesis, I propose these 500 Frontier Members will generate around $150,000 in revenue (40–50% of which converts into profit).

Whether this hypothesis turns out to be true, time will tell.

But suffice to say, achieving these goals will go a LONG way to succeeding the goals of US and THOSE.

THE MERRY MISFITS: By January 2017, Have 1,000 Merry Misfit Patrons

Where The Successful Mistake focusses on my Non-Fiction, The Merry Misfits looks at my Fiction — much of this centring around my latest novel, I Unlove You.

A Merry Misfit Patron is someone who ultimately buys a Book Bundle / Related Product, and considering I Unlove You is a Forever Free Novel, this isn’t an easy target to reach.

In fact, I propose we must do the following to reach 1,000 Patrons:

• Reach 250,000 People Through Various Outreach
• Produce a Total of 100,000 Book Downloads (Amazon, B&N, etc…)
• Grow Merry Misfit Related Email Lists to 10,000 Subscribers
• Develop at least 150 Relationships / Partnerships with Media, Reviewers, Bloggers, etc…

As with The Successful Mistake, I’ve many questions on the back of this, including conversion rates, cost per patron, and much more.

But my hypothesis proposes that 1,000 Merry Misfit Patrons will result in at least $12,000 in revenue (70–75% of which converts into profit).

Again, achieving this with will go a long way in reaching those all-important US and THOSE goals, although money doesn’t just help to pay for flights and trips, because such income allows me to outsource more work to VAs and freelancers, freeing up more time to focus on ME.

You see, those three meaningful goals all link with one another, as do these two less meaningful (but far more tactical) ones.

They all work hand-in-hand to help make 2016 the best year yet, and to edge me closer to my version of success.